Posts categorized "Neighborhood Scenes"

The Taste Buds Review: Hot Doug's (a.k.a. 826CHI Youth Invasion!)

Compiled by Scarlett Stoppa, June 8, 2010

If you’ve never heard of 826CHI, you might want to check if you still have ears. This non-profit writing and tutoring center is a local branch of Dave Egger’s dream project 826 Valencia, and with the help of legions of dedicated and imaginative volunteers, 826CHI is shaping the future generation of original writers and thinkers. In fact, it was a group of these Young Creatives of America who came up with the name Taste Buds for the Chicago 6 Corner’s food/restaurant review feature. To thank the clever kids for their tasty inspiration, we invited a group of 826CHI students to Be a Bud and review one of the best hot dog stands Chicago has to offer: HOT DOUG’S!

Their task: Order. Eat a hot dog. Write about it.

Sounds simple enough. But add in a rainstorm, crowds of hot-dog-hungry masses (resulting in a line that “was moving like a snail that broke its leg” ~ Jerod), and only-available-on-Friday/Saturday-duck-fat fries, and the Taste Buds had to think outside the bun.

Most of our Buds included a Bio to assure you fine readers of their hot-dog-reviewer qualifications. They also personalized their categories and rating system, and some even created a Reviewer Persona. We hope you enjoy their sweet and salty opinions, and are persuaded to embark upon your own Hot Doug adventure (See Hot Doug's for hours & menu). Don’t forget your umbrella (or sunscreen)!

Subin, 5th Grade

Bio: I love food and opinionating. There are many good reasons to trust my review, including: my mom makes good hot dogs (I don’t like yucky ones), my parents take me to all different ethnic restaurants, every day I use my verbal opinion, I’m smart, and it’s good to listen to other people.

Review: After years of watching people waiting on Saturday morning, I have finally tasted Hot Doug's.

Taste & Texture – I had the Marty Allen. It was very flavorful and had great texture. I would not recommend the mini bagel dogs. I would recommend the cheese and duck fries, but the duck fries are only served on Fridays and Saturdays. The Pete Shelly was okay and had great texture. The corn dog was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Decor –There are lots of pictures of hot dogs. It is very happy and colorful. I love the history of encased meats.

Service & Wait – The service is good. It is fast and very friendly, but the wait is about 20-30 minutes.

Price –The price is cheap. If you only brought $5 you could have at least two things. Most hot dogs are $2-3.

Chicago 6 Corners has added a yummy new dish – Restaurant reviews brought to you by The Taste Buds, a posse of Chicago 6 Corners contributors with strong opinions and healthy appetites. Sounds like me, you say? Well, you too can be a Bud. Just jot us a quick e-mail at chicago6corners (at) gmail.com and we'll add you to the list. (We're informal. Occasional attendance works.)

For our inaugural review, The Taste Buds chose Roscoe Village's Kitsch'n– self proclaimed as "Chicago's Cult Favorite: Comfort Food & Brunch Destination." We took their advice and came for brunch to power us through a marathon shopping spree at Village Discount Outlet right down the block (the Taste Buds pictured here, tho' Dave was manning the camera; that monstrosity in front of us is our collective purchases!).

Scarlett: Kitsch Factor: High, as the name infers. The doodads, knickknacks, and chotchkies sent us all down memory lane. Mork! (Robin Williams at his best.) Barbarella!! (Jane Fonda at her perkiest.) Candy Land!!! (We quickly discovered you're either in the Sorry school or the Candy Land school, but rarely both.) The one disappointing break in the kitsch fever was a big screen T.V. billboard pushing conference space.

Caliente Factor: SPICY! After being turned off the chicken and waffles by our server (she might have heard me drooling over a memory of L.A.'s Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles), I opted for the chilaquiles, which were delicious...and Hot Hot Hot!

Coffee Refill #: Being one of those that strives for that magic combination of cream and sugar in my joe, I found the coffee refills slightly manic. But that's my worst complaint. We didn't wait a second for a table. We were pampered with attention. And after a small mishap in the kitchen, where my plate landed chila-side-down, our server went to great lengths to get my fresh plate to me muy rapido!

Alyssa: The Classics Factor: 1. Green eggs and ham! (fresh spinach & basil leaves packed into a fluffy omelette garnished with ham); 2. endless cups of coffee; and 3. a lemon slice chandelier! (lemons in the water too, maybe so you won't suck on the chandelier)

Emily: Been Here Done That (& Will Do It Again) Factor: This fantastic brunch, lunch & dinner spot never fails to please. The fun and unique atmosphere is a great place to relax with friends. The brunch menu features crab-cake eggs benedict (YUM) and is now available all day long! Oh, and Kitsch'n is also a bar! Did someone say pancakes and beer? Score 1 for the good guys! (Tho' the silverware-in-the-toaster table centerpiece made me nervous.)

Ellen: There's a chicken in my salad Factor: Excellent!

Going Dutch Factor: So Cool. The check is automatically divided to show what each guest owes.

My Spidey sense must be off. I biked by Mercury Cafe this week after-hours, half-glanced through their large Chicago Avenue windows, and didn't notice anything amiss. I'm sure the thought passed me, as it sometimes does, "Good 'ol Mercury Cafe. I should stop by more often. I'm glad to see them open and burgeoning during this shitty economy." *

How wrong I was.

Minutes ago, after glancing at an email thread from Chicago Indy Media discussing where to host their next meeting, Mitchell Szczepanczyk broke the news: They're closed. My caffeinated heart sank. Indeed, on their website, the owners confirm the fact:

IT IS TRUE --- MERCURY CAFE IS CLOSING IT'S DOORS BY OCTOBER 4TH.

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT. UNFORTUNATELY THE ECONOMIC TIMES PROVED TO BE A BIT TOO MUCH.

C6C has met there since our inception. At our last Chicago 6 Corners planning meeting there this summer, the place was humming more than ever. And as the Mercury Cafe owners said in the above post, it was a great place for groups to connect: "It was nice to see that everyone from books clubs to knitting clubs to Muslim/Jewish open mic to feminist meet ups could find the place comfortable enough for themselves."

I'm sad. So many memories are there. You could always get a table or couch. Internet was free. Refills were cheap. The sandwiches were to die for. The art was authentic, local, and plentiful. (I have some photos of their Bike Art display I should find and post.)

And it really seemed like more and more people were going there. Like they made it over the hump. Guess not.

Apologies that there's no real reporting on this, beyond the fact you can't go there anymore. And the obligatory/obvious opinion: It sucks. If you have anything to add, please put it on the comments section, or write one of our editors and we'll post it. Also, if anyone is in contact with the owners or one of the charming baristas, and wants to write something up, we'll be happy to share.

Photos of stuff you can buy and a list of other West Town coffee ships after the jump:

VIA TEXT TO ME @ 4:27 p.m. April 17, 2009: Yeah, She's a cutie. Her teammates are also hotties. I go on around noon! [Saturday]

Good to know a hard-working man, isn't completely losing his libido. In between texting his friends about attractive Russian baristas, Michael, ahem, Mike Phillips was on his way to winning 3rd – THIRD! – in the World Barista Championship competition. That's like saying your friend down the street is, oh, I don't know, the Michael Phelps of the coffee world. We just won't print the naughty pictures. (Which ones were you thinking?) Just the inappropriate texts, which, I admit, I baited him on the Russian, as that's the only round I saw Friday before gearing up for his Saturday sensational showdown of espresso-pulling skill and finesse.

The all-male final round of six only had two hotties, and Mike was clearly one of them. Certainly, his hometown crowd at Intelligentsia on Broadway, and his friends in Ukrainian Village were thinking so (and saying so). Mike was only 5 points shy from beating the winner from the UK, who had 623 points. I'm not sure how the points are extracted and totaled – and don't ask how the 4 espresso, 4 cappuccinos, and 4 "signature" drinks are judged in the 15-minute performance of shots, hip music, and articulate explanations of Rwandan beans – but I do know 618 to 623 is flipping close. Considering there were 52 contestants, representing 52 countries, this is nothing short of the immaculate reception for this Chicago coffee Renaissance Man.

What Are Those Cute Little Maps? An Interview with Lee Posey of UNSCENE

By David Shuey, December 19, 2008

UNSCENE is not necessarily new on the scene. It started in Chicago in 2000, then spread to 12 other cities. You've probably seen their useful neon-designed maps at Filter (when it was there) or Earwax (still there!) at six corners-North/Milwaukee/Damen or hundreds of other print material depots in Chicago. The maps point you to boutiques, coffee shops, and other indie stores –with any luck before they turn into banks (see: Filter). They also do online side projects on independent music, such as UNHEARD, and there's even something here for unsigned bands to get their music out.

Recently, my friend and former contributor Lee Posey asked to do an interview exchange for the UNSCENE Chicago newsletter. I would send her a few questions on email, and she would send me some. She started first, and you can read some of my responses on the genesis of Chicago 6 Corners on PDF [link has since been removed]. Lee's thoughts on local commerce, the bullies of the Big Shops overwhelming the Little Guys, and her band Chaperone are detailed below:

Hi Lee. First off, can you tell people what is UNSCENE. Is it a website? A resource? An idea? All the above?

On a busy stretch of Fullerton Avenue between Kedzie and Kimball, a new neighborhood cafe called My House opened its doors on Friday to a cafe-hungry Logan Square. My House serves Fair Trade, organic coffee, and teas, and features tasty Guatemalan sweets. I tried the galletas – simple crunchy butter cookies, available with or without sprinkles – and found them to my liking.

The space feels like a good friend's basement, complete with board games stacked on the tables, guitars on the wall, and video games near the back of the cafe. During my visit, I put on headphones while studying but soon heard the sound of a live guitar over my quiet Piano Concerto #5 by Beethoven. I looked back and one of the guitars was off the wall in the owner's capable hands. He played some pleasant and unknown (to me) acoustic tunes while I sipped my red iced tea and finished my Spanish lesson. Muy tranquilo.

By Jen "Looch" Luciani and Robert "Pooch" Puccinelli, with guest writer Mike Phillips, June 12, 2007

Please give me some tips in how to hire a qualified psychotherapist to help me deal with my problems. - Psychotherapless, 28, Chicago

Looch: First of all, kudos to you for taking steps to better yourself. Time and patience are two things to take along with you in your search for a qualified psychotherapist, or any therapist/counselor. One must invest time to find a therapist with whom they will feel safe and who has experience in whichever area one needs help. Obviously, defining the issues you would like to address is a good place to start. There is counseling for just about any issue—general emotional difficulties, just being sad, wanting to talk about life’s challenges with someone other than friends and family, marriage and family, substance abuse, sexual abuse, you name it. Try an Internet search or calling a few offices to learn about the office’s approaches and philosophies (Jungian, Freudian, Feminist, Adolescent, etc), to find a good fit. Also, counselors and therapists of all stripes must put in time and money for proper training and certification. If you are a student, you can check out the counseling center on campus. Many companies (if you are so employed) can refer you through Human Resources to such services. Also consider affordability, scheduling, location and compatibility.

In Wicker Park, the burgeoning summer weather means sidewalks packed with people—either scantily clad or dressed to the nines—and an overwhelming frustration that I can't simultaneously sip a mojito on every single patio within strutting distance of my apartment. All that sunshine and stimulation can be downright frazzling! Thus, some days the best thing about my beloved neighborhood is escaping it.

I recently did just that and then some as a volunteer for the exciting new nonprofit Open Books. Debuting next year at 1449 S. Michigan Ave., the organization will feature a book store on the first floor that will help pay for a wealth of fun on the second floor—youth and adult literacy programs, literary events, public gatherings, and more. The organization has everything I love in a venture: books, kids, community, and the added bonus (for my proud feminist side) of being run by independent, enterprising women.

“I might as well move to Mars as Pullman!” I protested to the Realtor, clicking on the e-mail with the photo of a charming little brick home, maroon-painted with white arcing ‘eyebrows’ over the windows. A scraggly pine tree stood in the front lot, a postage-stamp-sized patch of thin grass. I considered it because I wanted to get back in a building. Preliminary research revealed that real estate in my range confined me to a questionable condo in Rogers Park, or a studio in a high rise in Uptown. But I have a dog, so I wanted a bit of grass for him to crap on, space for a pot of tomato plants, room for tulips and daffodils in the spring. I also have always preferred ‘vintage’ to new construction. I don’t mind exposed plumbing and bare brick walls, but granite countertops cause me to free-associate to the possibility of performing surgery on robots.

After twelve years in the city, to me the perimeters of Chicago were the lake to the east, Evanston to the north, Kedzie to the west, and Hyde Park to the south. Anything outside of those bounds, I didn’t have to know about.

Regarding housing, Rogers Park has much to recommend it – I’m up there occasionally for the Heartland or No Exit – but my friend Manicella swears that it was built on an Indian Burial Ground, and that visitors to the Curious Theater Branch had been attacked. Not an encouraging omen.

Not that I could afford new construction, anyway, but I really cannot connect with any of those cinder block and Blue Tyvek tarp bunkers now polluting Chicago’s architectural landscape.My life improves the more open-minded I become, however, so I went down to Pullman on the Metra with Manicella and we checked out the building.

Rogers Park, north of Devon, between Ashland and the Lake, is torn; culturally confused; a social refuge caught between university neighborhood chic and skid row dive. In this part of the Chicago Metropolitan grid, the home of Loyola University’s Lakeview Campus boasts an array of drinking establishments that cater both to post-final exam drink-a-thons and haggard barfly binges.

Today, like many others, I am one of those barflies in what is, statistically, the most ethnically diverse neighborhood in all of our great city. Duke’s Sports Bar is wedged into a corner on a street that’s no bigger than a reservoir. One-way and bricked-over, North Glenwood Avenue is the kind of thoroughfare you might expect from an urban imagination at its wit’s end, but with the north branch of the Red Line on one side and trash cans on the other, this characteristic hole-in-the-wall gin joint will satisfy the thirst of anyone with a legitimate interest in local pub atmosphere.

(Photography by Adeline Sides)
Opera Cabal, a Chicago based ensemble of performers, presented a multi-media experimental production of opera, music and theater: *USW* | und so weiter | et cetera | and so forth |. The Chicago Premiere was held on February 19, 2010 and February 20, 2010 at Curtiss Hall (Fine Arts Building).

Photography by Mia Aigotti
Chicago, what makes it tick? About Face: Faces of Chicago provides a glimpse through the lens of Mia Aigotti as she captures in portraits the faces and personalities that make up Chicago.

"Dreams Can Come True", is the guiding theme of the one-day Art exhibit at the South Side Community Art Center on September 20, 2008. The event united artists and patrons to commemorate the 2008 Presidential Election and to show their support of Barack Obama.
Photography, by Adeline Sides

Megan and Dave's 8 month adventure (December 2007 - August 2008): Starting in a cozy Berlin flat, to Spain, Morocco, Senegal and onward. French lessons and a fellowship with online microlending portal Kiva in Cameroon are in the mix.

On September 30, Chicagoans gathered for a silent candlelight vigil honoring the Buddhist monks, the students and the civilians in Burma who are daily demonstrating in the streets of Burma.
Photography by Adeline Sides